I'm actually kind of surprised that I haven't heard any discussion of this article in the blogosphere yet. Forgive me if I missed it, but I'd think something like this would have everyone just abuzz, what with money quotes like: "Whatever you think about Warren or his religious beliefs, he has discerned a consumer need out there. So let's engage our imaginations, substitute the word 'business' for 'church' and see what Warren has to tell us" (emphasis mine).

Karlgaard outlines 10 business tips from Warren, including:

• Don't compete for market share. Instead, compete with nonconsumption. "The church [business] must offer people something they cannot get anywhere else," Warren says.


• Sell big! "I've discovered that challenging people to a serious commitment actually attracts people rather than repels them," says Warren. "The greater commitment we ask for, the greater response we get."


• Borrow from others' successes. "Anytime I see a program working in another church [business], I try to extract the principle behind it and apply it in our church. I'm very grateful for the models that have helped me. I learned a long time ago that I don't have to originate everything for it to work."

Maybe the discussion is moving beyond Saddleback (and Willow Creek) bashing, and that would be a good thing. I'm certainly not trying to stir up those waters again. But isn't this kind of interesting that even the corporate world can see the business application to the whole "purpose-driven" thing? I think this just puts the exclamation point on what many of us are feeling about the pre-packaged, over-hyped corporate church model that continues to do booming business, even as other things ... well, emerge.

To stick with the metaphor: Thank God for the start-ups and the spiritual entrepreneurs willing to enter new markets with innovative life-transforming products. May the bubble never burst.